Conditional
by No One Mourns the Wicked
Summary: Jackson's new and dangerous obsession with Lisa has led him to capture her. Now she will have to aid him in his work, or be the cause of her parent's deaths. Eventual LisaJackson.
1. Start

Jackson Ripner leaned back against Lisa's kitchen counter, idly tapping his glass of wine before taking a sip. He sighed, stood up straight, and once again checked his wrist watch. He walked over to a second glass near the stove, stirred its liquid contents, and glanced to the window. Any minute now…

The sound of a key being turned alerted him and he stepped back, making sure he wouldn't be seen from the front door. Lisa came in unaccompanied, dropped her black work bag, and ran lengthy fingers through her auburn hair. Then, looking up, she stilled, staring skeptically at the light in her kitchen_. I never leave the light on_, she thought. _Never…_

Slowly, nearly soundlessly, she crept along the dark hallway, feeling for the handle on the lamp table's drawer. She had learned, especially since these last few weeks, to always keep a weapon near. But as she pulled out the drawer, expecting to grab a knife, she felt nothing but polished wood.

"Lisa," said a dark, rather sing-song voice. She let out a shuddering breath, her hands beginning to tremble. _No…_

Lisa backed up, making for the door. "Not that way," he warned. "Come into the kitchen." She continued to go against his wishes, sliding along the wall, as far from the light as possible.

"Bad decision, Lisa. I should tell you that if you decide to run outside my partner _will _catch you, and I never advised him to be merciful." She made no reply, only curled her fingers around the metal handle of her umbrella. It was weak object, she knew, but she had beaten Jackson at his own game before. Closer she crept towards the kitchen, hoping to take him out with a swing to the skull. Lisa peeked in, and saw the back of Jackson's black, wrinkleless suit. Breathing in deeply to steady herself, she counted to three and flew at him.

"I thought I _killed_ your partner!" she said harshly, swinging the umbrella handle at the back of his head. He turned swiftly, catching the object in the palm of his hand and smiling in amusement.

"An umbrella?" he asked, catching her wrists. "I thought you would have learned to step up your game."

"I stabbed you with my high heeled shoe," she spat, trying forcibly to wiggle out of his grasp. "An umbrella should have worked just fine!" He glared slightly, cocked his head, then let go of her wrists to slam her against the oven. Lisa breathed in sharply, but before she could get up Jackson held a gun in front of her face and stepped back casually.

"Red wine," he said, picking up his glass and holding it out in front of him. "But I'm not completely selfish. I've made you a Sea Breeze." Jackson grinned, putting down his own drink to pick up hers. The gun still aimed at its target.

"What do you want?" she asked finally through gritted teeth.

"At the present all I want is for you to take a sip of this lovely concoction. It is, after all, your favorite."

"I've changed my preference," she informed him, glaring.

"Is that right?" he asked. "Well, for old time's sake, then." He drew near, and Lisa's eyes scanned the kitchen, desperate for any useful item.

"Oh, don't bother looking around. I've taken care of most harmful objects myself. Can't have a repeat of last time, now can we?"

"How did you get out?" she asked suddenly, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "I'm assuming they didn't _let_ you go free."

"No, no, they didn't. But I'm quite competent; county jails have never held me for long." He stood over her now, swiveling the drink in his hand arrogantly. "Now, are you going to be a good girl and say, 'Ah,' or am I going to have to force this down your throat?"

"If you're going to kill me, just shoot me!" she cried, pursing her lips together tightly. He laughed lightly in reply.

"I'm not going to kill you, Lisa. I'll injure you, of course, but there is no need to rid of you just yet."

"But you'll kill me eventually," she continued, attempting to buy time.

"Not if you're good." She rolled her eyes at this comment.

"Well, then," she said, an idea forming, "bring me my Sea Breeze." Jackson smiled, keeping his gun level with her face, and leaned over her, extending the hand that held her glass. She reached out her hand slightly, feigning a new sense of compliance, but responded to his gesture by kicking in his left knee. He was quick to lose his footing, and dropped the liquid, drenching the ends of his pants and shoes. With a growl he stood up completely, holding onto the counter's edge as he shot in her direction. He missed.

Jackson shook out his leg and dashed down the hall, fighting the chairs and lamps being tossed his way. Finally he caught up, lunging at her and toppling her to the ground. Lisa let out a cry, turning around so that she lay on her back, and struggled to push herself away. Her legs were immovable now, and he struggled from on top of her to grab her hands.

"Get off me!" she screamed, tears threatening to spill as she knew she was losing the battle.

But Jackson grabbed her wrists, pinned them down, and took only a second to grab the needle from his coat pocket. She cried out, choking back a sob, but gradually loosened as the injection swam from her side into her veins. After a final whimper, she was asleep. Jackson breathed out as he rolled over, feeling inside his shirt for his cell phone.

He stopped dialing, though, as his eyes fell on her sleeping form. She was especially beautiful, he thought, when bruised and bleeding. Like an accomplice, perhaps. Like an equal.

"Lecton?" he asked, putting the phone to his ear. "I've got her."

* * *

A/N: Well, this is the new fic I promised! I'm much happier with it than I was with Feelings, and I hope you guys like it too. Please review, even if it's just flame me. ;) I'll update as soon as I can, but I start school this week so I might not be able to post a new chapter until Thursday or so.

BIG thanks to everyone who reviewed Feelings: Signs Fan, LolaQ, RoxieBarbieHer, Marumae, TheShoelessOne, Snufflesgal, Chanel, E.R.M. Griffin, Winged Seraph, Isis, and Romance-Luver222!


	2. Drive

Lisa moaned quietly as the seat beneath her shook, and the whole car rattled as it hit bumps and gravel. Her focus hadn't adjusted by the time she opened her eyes, so she shut them tightly, feeling overly nauseous and achy. It wasn't until she tried to swallow that she realized there was a strip of cloth tied tightly across her parted lips. Then she remembered Jackson, and the need to scream raced through her. But the sound of voices, two men talking in heated whispers, stilled her weak form.

"And I told _you_ not to question me!" she heard Jackson say.

"I was only warning you that there might be—"

"It's nothing I can't handle!" he spat back.

"Maybe your right, Ripner," the other man said after a moment. "But I would not be so confident after your last mission failed so miserably." Jackson growled in response.

"I am your superior for a reason, Lecton. Don't forget that," he warned the man with a glare. Then his glanced turned to the rear view mirror, and he grinned, turning his head around to see her even though he still held the steering wheel.

"Good morning, sunshine," he said, feigning pleasantries.

"Ro ra rell," she muttered through the cloth.

"What was that?" Jackson asked. "I can't understand you." She glared, grumbling something completely incoherent. "Lecton," He said, turning his attention to the man in the passengers seat, "Will you be kind to the lady and remove her tie?" The man did as told and leaned over his seat to untie her. Lisa complied with the procedure, but jerked back when he began fingering her hair.

"Now, what was it you wanted to tell me?" Jackson asked.

"Go to hell, you bastard!" she said angrily, trying to sit up even when her hands and feet were bound together.

"_Still_ mad? Well, you shouldn't be, considering we haven't killed you."

"I'd rather be dead _now_."

"That can be arranged," he replied, keeping his eyes on the road. "I'm sure your feeling ill, but suck it up. We'll be at our destination shortly." Lisa didn't miss his smile as she watched his reactions in the mirror.

"Where are you taking me?"

Jackson made a _tsk tsk _clicking sound with his tongue, shaking his head slightly. "Curiosity killed the cat, Lisa." He paused. "And anyway, you won't know until we're there."

"So what's the drill this time?" she asked after a moment's silence. "Have you got my father stuffed in the truck, or are you going to bribe me with something more original?"

Jackson shifted uncomfortably.

"He's in the _trunk?_" she asked exasperatedly.

"Miss," said the older man, "if we had put your father in the trunk, he would have suffocated by now, which would make him completely useless to _us_."

"Here we are," Jackson said, interrupting the argument. He parked the car smoothly, and Lisa looked out, baffled at the neon, half-broken Motel 6 sign. Jackson turned back to her. "You want to know the drill, Lisa? Then look." He carelessly threw a picture from his seat into her eager hands. Lisa moaned at the image of her mother on her balcony, sinking back into the embrace of her new husband. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let either man see her cry.

"10200 Orchird drive, Lake City,South Carolina. That's the residence of your mother and her new husband, Michael Jacobson, isn't it?"

"Yes," was Lisa's soft reply.

"Good, because I've got another one of my men renting the house just across," Jackson said, "and he's watching their every move."

"What do you want me to do? Make another phone call?" Lisa asked irritably.

"Not at the moment. Right now I just want you to come quietly into room 3, where we'll be spending the night." With a smirk he got out of the car, shutting the door behind him, and opened Lisa's side. She was glaring fiercely at him.

"I can't untie you, obviously, can't drag you, either." He paused musingly. "I suppose I'll have to carry you. And _don't_ make a fuss," he added seriously.

"I hate you," Lisa spat as they locked eyes, but he made no reply, only picked her up, cradling her rather awkwardly against his chest. She didn't lean her head against him, instead rebelliously turning her features to the oncoming door.

"Key?" Jackson asked his assistant, eyeing the incompetent man with annoyance. Lecton did a slow jog up to the door, opened it, and stood aside to let the couple in. Lisa bit her lip in worry at the sight of the single bed illuminated only by a dusty old lamp. It hadn't hit her until then that Jackson could and might rape her. She started to struggle, but he just held on tighter, growling at her defiance.

Jackson dropped her on the peach clothed bed, and then turned back to Lecton. "You'll take the car, in case she somehow escapes. Now leave us."

Trembling with fear and anger, Lisa attempted to sit up, and came face to face with Jackson's grin.

* * *

A/N: Cliffhanger! –gasp- What's going to happen? Well, I've give you a hint: no rape. Haha. Anyway, thank you so much for your reviews on the first chapter, you guys rock! I updated quicker than I thought I would, but I can't seem to stay away from this story, which in very unusual for me. Please review for this chapter, too, I love hearing your opinions!

BIG thanks to: Signs Fan, Robin, Chanel, TheShoelessOne, LolaQ, Bonnylass007, Bimefl, Isis, Romance-luver222, Seeiko, Jack E. Peace, Winged Seraph, and Amanda!


	3. Sleep

Lisa began to scoot back before Jackson, still smiling, flopped down beside her. He stretched out, put his hands leisurely above his head, and sighed. She stared incredulously down at the man who, at the moment, seemed unlikely to attack her.

"Well, should we say goodnight?" he asked, turning his attention from the ceiling to her.

"I am _not_ sleeping on a bed with you," she told him, lowering her head and raising her eyes as she did so.

"Suit yourself," he said, "but I expect the floor will be _much_ harder." Lisa breathed out in annoyance, and sat on the side of the bed with her back to him. Sinking deeper into the top cover, his eyes on her quickly uncurling hair, Jackson decided to strike up conversation.

"You weren't afraid afterwards." Lisa made no reply. "It wasn't the same as when you were held up in the parking lot. You went out of the house, went back to work. Did you think I wasn't coming back?"

"I thought," she said after a moment's silence, "that if you did, somehow, brake out… I thought I could beat you again."

"You presume too much," he said. Lisa glared at the floor.

"Do I?"

"You thought, the first time, that it would never happen again." She shrugged lightly, and for a moment Jackson was silent.

"You talked to your mother this week." Lisa turned her head to stare at him, slightly angling her body in his direction as she did so. "I noticed, as it was my job to, that your lovely smile faded at the mention of her husband. I wonder, do you blame _him_ for the divorce?"

"That is _none of your business_," she spat slowly.

"Do you hate him?"

"If you don't answer my questions, what makes you think I'll answer yours?" Jackson turned his eyes from her, and stared musingly at the spackled ceiling.

"You're easier to manipulate."

Lisa's lips parted slightly as her eyes narrowed. "That's _only_ because you have no attachments." Jackson seemed unfazed by her comment.

"Yes, I have no attachments, but you have very little of them yourself. Bribing you with your parent's lives _is_ repetitive, but who else do you have? Your friends are hardly that anymore, and you seem incapable of holding a steady relationship. If not for your parents your only attachment would be your work." Jackson smiled ironically. "And then you'd be just like me."

"Except that I work for a hotel, and you work for scumbags that do hit jobs on entire families!" she argued.

"Them?" He scoffed lightly. "The money was no good there, not after you botched up my last assignment. I had to change sides, naturally."

"But, _naturally_, you didn't hop over to the good side."

"Good side, bad side…they're not really what you think they are. I'd like to think there's a gray, not that I'm in-between, either. But your on the good side, aren't you, Lisa?"

"Only if you're on the opposite team."

Jackson nodded, his chin tapping his chest in the process. "So predictable… tell me, does that bruise I gave you still hurt?"

"Are you still scarred from where I stabbed you in the neck?" she shot back. Jackson's eyes flashed momentarily with anger, but he calmed quickly, and casually began unbuttoning his collared shirt. Lisa stared at the exposed flesh where a round, red, and stretched scar had surfaced.

"Look, or feel if you like. It's a reminder of what you're capable of, Lisa. A sign that maybe our sides _aren't so separate_." He said the last words slowly, making sure to catch and hold her gaze.

"I have to use the bathroom," she said quietly after a moment of silence. Then, more loudly, "Now."

"I'm having déjà vu," he said. "Wasn't my saying yes a problem last time?"

"I'm not asking to take anything with me," she reasoned, "I just have to go."

"Come here," he said, and much quicker than Lisa would have thought, continued: "I'll have to untie you." Moving her eyes skeptically up to his, she hesitantly pushed her lower half up with arms, and put her legs on the bed. Jackson glanced to the small, pale feet on the pillow near his head before sighing, and sitting up.

His fingers grazed her skin as he played with the knot holding the ropes on her ankles together. She glowered, but said nothing. She thought idly, once her legs were free of restraints, that she should probably kick her abductor. But where would that get her? A fist to the mouth, a knee to the stomach in return? And with his partner waiting outside, a gun most likely in hand, any attempt to escape would end in disaster.

Jackson undid her hands now, jerking her wrists as he unwound the rope, and then she was free. "Go quick," he told her, motioning to bathroom with a nod of his head. "And Lisa," he warned as she got off the bed, "No writing naughty messages on the wall."

She didn't see his smirk as she shut the door behind her.

_Think_, she thought over and over again, staring at her exhausted reflection. _There has to be a way. _Lisa ran the sink water, cupping the liquid in her hands and brushing it over her pale features. She swished it in her mouth, spit it back out, and dried herself with a towel before turning back to the mirror. A million thoughts swam through her mind, every possible question but no real solutions. Lisa cursed under her breath, buried her face in hands, and let several small tears slip past her eyes.

_I'll find a way, _she vowed. _I have to. _Lisa knew Jackson's weakness last time had been his lack of preparation. He hadn't known her to be a capable person, but now… well, this time around he seemed more than prepared.

Lisa turned the handle with the eagerness of a lamb straying from its flock to seek out the wolf. And there, inches from the door, stood the expected Jackson, who roughly grabbed her wrists and held her against him. While her back was pressed firmly to his chest he wound the ropes around her thin wrists, sparing her no pain in the measure of tightness. After binding her upper body he gestured to the bed. "Sit."

For once, she did as told. "Now lay down." Lisa's eyes asked the question her mouth would not, and Jackson grinned.

"No, they'll be none of that. Not tonight, anyway." He sat down beside her, stretching out again. "Lights outs, Lisa," he said, reaching for the light. In a another second darkness had consumed the room, and Lisa turned her head in Jackson's direction, watching, waiting for him to move. The bed squeaked several times as he adjusted his position to get comfortable, but that was it.

As the night wore on she abandoned her position, laying hesitantly down on her half of the bed. She could hear Jackson breathing next to her, and it did nothing to calm the sickly beating of her heart.

Eventually, however, she did fall into the grip of a fitful sleep, and Jackson watched her, his blue eyes lit up even in darkness.

* * *

A/N: I know you guys really wanted chapter 4, but I was really unhappy with the originally posted ending for this chapter, and it took me a long time to finish, not to mention I started school today. I don't expect you to review this, but I just wanted to give you guys something before the day was over. I should have chapter four up tomorrow though, and in the meantime thank you for your patience! Here are the replies from last time:

Winged Seraph—Thanks so much for your comments, and yeah, no dirty motel scene, lol. Lisa can be pretty feisty when she feels like it, and "Take me!" aren't really the words she would or will be saying any time soon. ;)

CookieCandy17—You haven't seen the movie yet? That's so funny! How do you know what's going on? Lol. Anyway, GO SEE IT! NOW!

TheShoeslessOne—Your review made me giggle, so thanks for that. ;) Yes, Jackson should have just given up the bed, don't you think? That bastard. Jk. Thank you!

Arisa Mieko—You thought the movie was predictable? I never saw half the things coming, but then again I'm one of those people who gets very confused very often, lol. I can't wait for the dvd to come out, in… like 6 months? Darn. Anywhoo, thank you!

Mikoshoujo—I know, isn't a bummer that there isn't a separate category? I wonder how the main ff people decide when a misc. cat. needs it's own space. We should write in complaints. ;) Thank you!

TiffanyKoz—Me too! I was seriously so mad that there wasn't any Lisa/Jackson romance in the movie, I was rooting for it the whole 90 minutes! And yeah, my screen name is from Wicked. Great musical, huh? ;) I just saw it performed in June, it was awesome! Much better than the book, I thought. I got about half way through it, but I really didn't like it so I put it back down. Oh well. I hope you'll like it, though!

Isis—Yeah, I didn't see Jackson as the raping type, either. He's too arrogant for that. I hope you'll like this update, and thank you!

Signs Fan—Thank you so much, I hope you'll like this chapter, too!

Bimfl—Thank you very much, I hope this update was quick enough, lol. I'll try to update again soon!

Also, BIG thanks to: Tessica, Amanda, Tony, Kendall, BlairBear, Chanel, IrishCookie, and LolaQ!


	4. Know

Weak sunlight streamed in through the curtain drawn window and landed in thin strips across Lisa's face. She barely moaned, her eyes twitching slightly as sleep left her. She rubbed her legs together, but after an attempt to stretch her arms failed she was hit with immediate confusion. As consciousness took hold, a pair of harsh blue eyes forever etched in her memory reminded her of her present state.

Lisa shot up, restrained partly by the covers—when had she put on blankets?—that stretched semi tightly over her body. She looked intently at the tied wrists sprawled out on her lap before turning to stare at Jackson. He returned her glance, lying quite lax on the opposite side of the bed.

"You use lilac shampoo," he commented casually.

Lisa cursed softly, turning her pained gaze away from Jackson. "I fell asleep," she said in disbelief. Why didn't she remember even lying down?

"Mmhm," Jackson confirmed, continuing to watch her mixed reactions. "And it's a good thing you're awake now, because we've got to go." He tipped his head in the direction of the door. Lisa stared as he motioned, still slightly dazed.

"Where…where are we going?" she asked finally.

"Questions won't get you anywhere, Lise," he said, standing up and stretching. "You know that." Lisa glanced to the window in annoyance, but after squinting in the bright light she turned away and stood up.

Jackson just stared at her for a moment, his head slightly tilted and his usual cocky grin spread over his lips. Then he spoke. "You'll need to sit if you want to get out of this hotel room." Lisa did as told, resisting the urge to roll her eyes, and he came to sit next to her. She thought he looked just as he had on the first day they had sat together, laughing over introductions and small talk. They had been drinking.

"Feet," he said, glancing down to her free ankles. She purposely laid her legs across his lap; because it was annoying, maybe; because she had no better way of irking him. He tied the ropes too tightly, as was Jackson's style, around her thin ankles, making a complicated knot at the end. After checking that her previous ties were still in tact he grabbed her elbow, yanking her up with him. Lisa tittered on her feet for a moment, and Jackson, almost unconsciously, steadied her.

"Well, I suppose you'll need a lift," he said. Lisa pouted somewhat, glaring at the ground, but relinquished herself to Jackson's hold as he hoisted her up against his chest.

"Heavy?" she asked as he made his way out.

"Hardly. Although I know how little you work out." Lisa narrowed her eyes, and Jackson partially opened the door.

"Lecton?" he asked, and the man poked his head around the corner. In the daylight Lisa could see he was a nearly bald man in his forties, and dressed as nicely as his companion. "Clear coast?" The older man nodded, and Jackson did a half jog to the parked car, making sure Lisa, bound and bruised, was not seen.

Both men jumped in quickly, but Jackson took the driver's seat, something Lisa knew must be a sign of superiority. Lecton passed a bagel to his boss, who looked at it before adjusting his rear view mirror, and raising his eyebrows at the backseat passenger.

"Complimentary breakfast?" he asked smoothly.

"No, thank you," she replied sharply. He shrugged, and bit off the bread.

"It's not much longer now," he said after swallowing. "Which reminds me…" With an arrogant smile, Jackson pulled a black bandana out of his coat pocket and handed it to his assistant. "I know you'll prefer this to an injection," he said smartly. Lisa glared, but allowed the man so frighteningly quiet in her presence to place a blindfold over her eyes.

"What time are we meeting them?" Lisa heard Lecton ask.

"_You_ are meeting them at 10:30. I've got business to attend to."

"With the girl?" All was quiet after that, and Lisa assumed Jackson had either nodded or not. Maybe ten minutes later she heard his distinctive sigh as he leaned back in his chair.

"How about a little music, Lise?" he asked.

"Smooth jazz?" she shot back. Even in her world of darkness she knew him well enough to know he was grinning; she could see it in her mind.

"A company favorite," he acknowledge, playing with the tuning buttons. The sounds that came from the stereo felt anything but comforting to Lisa, but she tried not to think about that. Not when she still had an escape to plan.

The drive wasn't too long, forty-five minutes or so, when Jackson put the car into park under a mixture of gravel and dirt. "Home sweet home," he said rather sarcastically, his eyes narrowed slightly. Lecton exited, and Jackson joined him.

"Now Lisa," he said, opening her side door, "Be a good girl while I pop in and say hello to the big guy, okay?"

"Sure thing," she said, cocking her head in an annoyed manner.

"Alright, I'll be back in three."

After he left, Lisa's heart began pounding sickeningly fast in her chest. She struggled to quickly free herself, for knew more than anything that this could be her only chance.

* * *

A/N: I am SO sorry I didn't post yesterday! I know I said I probably would, but I had limited access to the computer and this chapter didn't come easily. I didn't post earlier because –big intake of breath- GUESS WHERE I WAS! Seeing Red Eye! Wow, after seeing it a second time I realized how much of Jackson I missed the first time. He seemed almost sad sometimes, talking to Lisa about the mission, or anything related. It was, well, sweet, for lack of a better word. And after writing this fic I was honestly annoyed when he tried to stab her in the end, and when she got him with the pen. Although, he did look rather dashing with that scarf on, lol. Alright, onto the replies:

Puck the Faerie—lol, you think you love me? Well, that deserves a hug! ;) –hugs- Yeah, I know my last chap was crappy, haha, so I hope you liked the re-write. Thank you!

TheShoelessOne—"Delightful little bastard, in a good way." LOL! Nice choice of words. ;) And no, I love long reviews, keep 'em coming! Thank you!

Signs Fan—That's so funny that you didn't tell your friends; I'm the same way! If I ever said to my bff "Jackson and Lisa make such a hot couple" I know I would be given the weirdest look before being shunned…lol. Thanks!

LolaQ—thank you for saying you like the pace, because I seriously take the longest time getting to romance, especially with a pairing like Lisa/Jackson. I know some people are impatient about things like that, so yeah, here's a heads up that it will be a while, hehe. Thanks again!

IrishCookie—LOL! I giggled over your review for the longest time, and it was the only reason I was sad to part with the original ending to chapter three. Thank you!

Jack E. Peace—Thank you so much, and yes, the plot will arrive soon, lol. To answer your question, yes, there will be a lot of romance, just not…normal romance. Ack, I can't explain, but this fic is going to be long and you'll understand eventually. ;) The ending is going to be good, I've been fantasizing about it all day, lol. Um…I looked everywhere for a place to "email" but I couldn't find it. Do you know where I would look? Thank you again!

The Mercer Sister—Omg, I thought I was the only who thought that bathroom scene was SO hot! And yeah, Jackson has all of me, too. ;) lol. Thanks!

Also, BIG thanks to: Sargonne, Lily1186, Winged Seraph, Chanel, Firefly, Bimefl, Crazy Neko, Krishnaa, pmochizuki, Robin, Isis, Amanda14, CillianFan, Pervy Elf Fancier, M3ElektraMini05, The Nth Degree, Claire Hall, Chanel86, Amanda, Tessica, Esmerelda, SpadesJade, Aerin, and LasVegasGirl!


	5. Break

Lisa fumbled with the knot. She had pushed the bandana up just enough to catch glimpse of what she was doing. Her teeth bit into the rope as she tried desperately but unsuccessfully to free her hands. Although she hadn't heard Jackson's footsteps in the gravel, Lisa knew how limited her time was, and so continued frantically.

Finally, her aching teeth pulled away a section of the knot. She gained speed, shakily unwrapping the rope but keeping the ends in her firm grip. Lisa couldn't let Jackson know she was free. Not yet.

Lisa put the blindfold down completely over her eyes, and sat just as she had before her abductor had left. If only he would hurry and get into the driver's seat! She could grab him from behind, she could choke him, she…

"Been a patient girl?" came an inquiring voice. Lisa nearly jumped as he opened her door, no doubt peering down at her.

"Of course," she replied, her voice carrying none of its usual intensity. She had little care for words at the moment; not when she needed Jackson in the driver's seat so badly. His silence scared her as the moment expanded, and she swallowed unconsciously.

"Patient girl…" he mused finally. "But have you been a _good_ girl?"

"Both," she responded automatically, becoming irritated.

"Give me your hands," he said suddenly, his tone suspicious. Lisa trembled, making no move to do as he asked.

"I _said_—"

"Why?" she asked, turning her blindfolded eyes to his.

With a growl Jackson grabbed her at the elbows and slid his hands down her hers. In her mind Lisa could see his eyes glinting with uncontrolled anger as he felt the loose ropes. She cringed at the tenseness that followed.

"Bad idea, Lise," he informed her, digging his nails into the tops of her hands. Then he was on he was on her, so quickly Lisa could do little to protest. Jackson slammed the side door as he sat with his knees on the leather seats, her legs in between his. She whimpered at first, but screamed briefly when his grip wound its way around her neck.

"I can't…breathe…" she said, her voice crackling hoarsely. Jackson made no move to stop or soften his vice like grip, even when her tears dripped slowly onto his wrists. She had gotten the rope off, and now her hands clawed at his as she tried with frantic desperation to fill her lungs.

"Struggling will only make it worse," Jackson told her through gritted teeth.

"Stop," she begged, her voice barely audible, and her sight completely blocked. Although, the tiny bit of light that streamed in through the bottom of the blindfold was growing dimmer…and dimmer…

Lisa fell suddenly limp, and Jackson released his grip immediately, waiting for the slow heaving of her chest that came moments after. One hand was on her upper arm, preventing her from falling, while the other smoothed back her usually curled auburn hair. He breathed out casually, although deeply, his gaze locked on her tear stained skin and parted lips. For a moment Jackson stayed kneeling, just staring at her. Then, in an attempt to perhaps re-attain his professionalism, said: "That was a warning."

Swinging one leg over, he briefly sat next to her before opening the side door and getting out. Checking both ways for the eyes of others instead of the lights of cars, and finding the coast clear, he grabbed Lisa, propping her head up on his elbow and draping her legs over his other arm. Then he dropped her into the passenger's seat, re-tied the ropes on her wrists, and after fixing his suit jumped into the opposite seat.

By the time Lisa woke up, moaning with painfully shut eyes, the car had parked been for some time. Her limbs ached from the stressed ropes on her skin, and the seat belt that rubbed against her neck. Upon seeing Jackson, her first inclination was to cry. She had been so sure she could take him on again, but he had almost killed her. She thought he had.

"Have a nice nap?" he inquired sarcastically.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" she muttered, turning her head away and blinking slowly.

"I should ask you the same question," he said, idly fixing the rear view mirror. "You gamble with lives when you take chances like that, Lise."

"Mom?" Lisa breathed, the panic in her eyes reflecting his own cool emotion as she stared at him.

"Hm?" he asked.

"Did you hurt her?" she accused.

"No, no, _I_ didn't. But neither did my associate, and you should be grateful for that, Lisa, because next time I might not be in such a forgiving mood." He stared at her. "Now promise me there won't be a next time," he said. Lisa didn't answer, and so he came in closer. "Promise me," he breathed.

"Whatever you say, Jack," she agreed.

"Good girl," Jackson grinned, and parked the car.

Lisa looked up, startled at the barren, rolling landscape and the single but rather large metal barn off to the right. The isolation of the area made it eerie, unsettling even. Jackson fumbled around in his pants pocket, finally pulling out a small flip phone.

"Here," he said, handing over the object. "I need you to call Cynthia. Tell her you'll be taking an…extended vacation. Unexpectedly, of course." Lisa glowered, but opened the phone just the same. She braced herself.

The phone rang. Once, twice…

"Lux Atlantic Hotel, assistant manager speaking." Lisa closed her eyes, breathing in slowly.

"Cynthia?" was her tired reply.

"Lisa? Oh my gosh, where have you been? I called your house, I even checked with the café down the road, but they—"

"Cynthia—" Lisa cut her off, her tone unbearably calm but exhausted. "I…I'm sorry, I can't come into work today."

"Lisa, are you alright?" she asked concernedly.

"Cynthia, I need you to arrange my vacation, starting now."

"Lisa, is something wrong? You can tell me, I'll—"

"No, I just…please arrange my vacation."

Jackson mimicked her phone call by tapping his fingers against his thumb. "Say goodbye, Lisa," he whispered.

"I have to go, Cynthia."

"Lisa, what's going on—" Jackson grabbed the phone from its perch against her ear, and pocketed it once more.

"I'm assuming she didn't suspect anything, so now that we've finished that chore we can move along." He opened his door, walking around the lengthy hood to her side.

"What are we doing here?" Lisa asked, staring up at his alight eyes.

"Come here, and I'll show you."

* * *

A/N: Phew! Sorry about the wait, senior year is a bigger pain than I thought it would be, and my writing time is now filled with essays due for AP Lit. Grrr… Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter, it's longer than the last one, but if you didn't please tell me, and why. Thank you guys so much for your reviews on the last chapter, you all rock!

Nth Degree—Anthony Hopkins? Lol, that's awesome! Mostly because I stole Lecton from Lector…hehe. Thanks!

Seeiko—LOL! 'I complained about no make out scenes, and how during which, I only paid to see this movie in a dark, black movie theater with butter for a reason.' I cracked up about that line for the longest time. ;) I know, Red Eye was in dire need of a Lisa/Jackson make out scene. The bathroom scene was hawt, but not nearly what shippers were looking for. –sigh- And I purposely tried to stay away from 'said' during this chapter. Not that it worked entirely, but the effort was there. ;) OMG I have to tell you something! You taught me a new word! I thought you made 'snarky' up, so I looked on and lo and behold, there it was! So at school my best friend was being a butt so I said: "Why are you being so snarky!" She was like, "Wah?" but then I told her what it meant and now it's our group word. ;) Yeah! Um, thanks! Hehe

Jack E Peace—Actually, it is cookies. Peanut Butter cookies. Mmmmm…;) You're calling it smooth jazz? Awsome! It's a much better title, anyway. Hehe. Btw, do you know the actual address I would email them at? I can't find it…(

Eccentric banshee—Haha, that's so funny because when I saw your reviewer name I was like, "Don't I know you…?" ;) You're intrigued by Lecton? That's very nice of you, I'm not even intrigued by Lecton. I dropped him off at the house for a reason… lol! Thank you so much for reviewing, and I hope you'll like this chapter, too!

TheShoeLessOne—Thank you, I'm glad you liked the re-post better! Who's Hugh Laurie? Ah well, I'll google him. 'But, darn it, if he isn't the cutest little kidnapper I've ever seen!' Aww, that made me see toddler Jackson's! Not that that's what you intended, but yeah…hehe. Thanks again!

Bad Faery—'Actually, I'd like to see him protecting her from just about anything.' Keep on watching…;) Thank you!

Also, BIG thanks to: Chanel, Signs Fan (Hugs!), Coneflower Adams, CLIU, blueeyedtears, Elle Farraday Merchant, Bimefl, Claire Hall, LasVegas Girl, Allee Kat, irishcookie, thesupernugget, Sargonne, Laurenmlbc, Allison, Sorna, Chanel86, and LolaQ!


	6. Fight

Jackson set Lisa down, steadying her at the elbows while she stood in front of him. Only the sunlight streamed in through the rickety door of the hay-strewn barn, making Lisa more than uneasy. She tried to sharpen her senses as she peered through the darkness, but the feeling of Jackson holding her from behind made it difficult to focus.

"I'm guessing this isn't home sweet home," she assumed, glancing around.

"No, it's not quite home material," he said, "but it serves a purpose every now and then." Jackson scanned the room distractedly. "Now, sit while I go get my case." He let go, and she tittered, then plopped down ungracefully on a thin pile of hay. Jackson disappeared behind a tall wrap of straw, and came back with a large, silver suitcase that he carried by its black handle. He set it down, undid the side locks, and opened it, revealing—to Lisa's horror—a row of rather expensive looking guns.

"What are those for?" she asked, trying her best not to sound as though she cared.

"For lesson number one," he replied smartly, grabbing a handgun and twirling it around his pointer finger. Lisa remained silent, but shivered unconsciously as she braced herself. "Up," he commanded, coming back to her side.

"So you can shoot me?" she snapped.

"Remember dear mother," he warned. Lisa glared up at him, but surrendered her bent arm just the same. She was no longer shaking, having mentally determined herself to put shameful thoughts of fear away. He had admitted that her death was not on his imminent agenda, and Jackson was, as she had witnessed, very good at keeping his word.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked.

"I want you…" he said, his voice lowering with every word as he fitted her form to his, "to come here." Jackson's chin mingled with the top of her auburn hair, and its familiar lilac scent. Lisa couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow at the closeness.

"Now, I'm going to untie you," he said bracingly, snaking his arms around her shoulders to get to her hands. "But I swear, if you try anything funny this time, there _will_ be hell to pay." The knowledge that he had never lied to her stuck with Lisa as his promise resounded in her head.

"Take this," he said, thrusting a gun into her now free hands, although he covered them tightly with his own.

"You're giving me a _gun_?" she asked incredulously. Jackson's hands nearly made a fist around hers, but she gave no hint about the pain the pressure created. The sleek metal object made imprints in Lisa's palm.

"Look up," he said, doing even as he told her, and completely ignoring her last statement. "Do you see that wooden bar?" Lisa nodded slightly, careful to avoid her head brushing too closely with his. "Well, then I'm sure you see the red rings drawn on it. _You_ will be hitting them."

"You're teaching me to shoot?" she asked, glancing to the side and glimpsing his nicely clothed shoulder.

"Just a few basic tricks," he shrugged, "believe me, they'll come in handy."

"I thought you were a _lousy shot_," she argued, mimicking his past confession.

"Only too lousy to be a hit man," he corrected. Lisa scoffed quietly; she knew from experience he was much worse than he would admit. "Now, I need you to aim the barrel of the gun at your target. Like so." Jackson took her gun holding hands and directed them at the red rings. "Shoot quickly; the kickback should come as a surprise." Lisa did as told, imaging her captor's pale face and smug grin dangling above her as she pulled the trigger. The force of the gun was as Jackson had predicted—a surprise. She stumbled back, hands shaking as bits of hot copper stung her unclothed chest. Jackson caught her, and re-adjusted himself so that both their knees could bend.

"Not bad," he commented into her hair. She had missed her mark by a few inches. "But you're still too tense. It's affecting your position."

"I'd like to see you do better, _Jack_." His body went momentarily rigid with unrestrained animosity, but it passed like a shiver. Lisa took pleasure in this.

"Again," he commanded, re-aiming the gun. "But this time I want you to breathe. In, out, in, and out halfway." Lisa did as told, taking long, deep breathes, stopping where he had instructed. Her hands had quite their shaking, and she smiled after firing. This time the bullet hole was barely outside the ring. Once more she tried, gripping the gun more freely now that Jackson's hold on her had lessened.

This time, she didn't miss.

"Better," he commented, barely nodding at her progress. It was Lisa's turn to smirk.

"Are we done, then?" she asked. He sighed.

"You've passed one test," he said, prying her hands off the gun and shoving her to the side. Lisa fell into the heap of hay, groaning as her left side took on the impact of the fall.

"Bastard," she muttered.

"Mmm, ouch," he replied, eyes slightly narrowed as he shook his head in either mock sympathy or hurt. Jackson held the handgun up the target, shot once, and did better than she had on both her first tries. But, Lisa mused, he probably knew this place, and consequently the target, like the back of his murderous hand. _Show off._

Jackson placed the weapon back in its case where it sat alongside other, both equally and more harmful, guns. Then he stalked back to his prey, yanked her up by her upper right arm, and held her to his side. Their faces were dangerously close when her glaring eyes locked with his icy ones.

"Now, we're going to go test your…skills," he said finally, his voice doubting the existence of any such proficiency. Jackson began walking, taking her stumbling form with him.

* * *

A/N: -gasp- Another cliffhanger! What's going to happen? Where is Jackson taking her? Why was he teaching her to shoot? Are they _ever _going to kiss? Stay tuned to find out! Okay, seriously though, sorry for not updating sooner. I had some trouble with this chapter, but I hope it turned out okay. And just for the record, I know _nothing_ about guns, so if some of this chapter is odd, yeah… Thank you so much for your reviews on the last chapter, and please review this one, too!

Replies:

TheSuperNugget—Actually, she can cry in front of him. I mean, she did it many times during the movie, and she _still_ came out on top. And no, Jackson isn't a rapist, lol. At least not in my story. ;)

TheShoelessOne—I got the title from a Switchfoot song, haha. I've been listening to the Walk to Remember soundtrack a little too much… but yeah, it did have a double meaning, ;) What play are you trying out for? Did you get the part? Arg, I can't believe you haven't had an essay yet, my teacher is soooo evil! He's a weird, evil little man! 'Something involving a metal hut and lots of lovin'?' LOL! I cracked up after reading that, but no, no lovin in this chapter, I'm afraid. Although, I've got the whole ending planned for this story, and I'm sooo happy with it! Lots of L/J involved, but not in a fluffy I love you sort of way and not in a rape way either. Ack… I should just stop talking now. Thank you so much for your review!

Seeiko—I was _this _close to spitting out my cereal when I read your review! You are the seriously the funniest person to have ever reviewed one of stories. Much love!

Eccentric Banshee—Hey, I lurve Hannibal Lecter, too! And Anthony Hopkins…I just want to give him a big bear hug, lol. And yay, a fellow Cynthia fan! She's such a funny kid. ;) Mom's getting suspicious? About what? My mom is always suspicious when I'm on the computer. Twenty times a day I have to hear, "What are you writing? Tell me! You're hurting my feelings by not telling me!" And she still doesn't know. Haha. ;) Thank you for the review!

Also, BIG BIG BIG thanks to: silentsister, laurenmlbc, signs fan, Kate, Asanji, Chanel86, Winged Seraph, CLUI, I'mnotthere, blueeyedtears, Chase, Death by Teacup (I love your name!), Jack E. Peace, bluemonday, NeverEndingNightmare, Bimefl, Black Stripe, Kendall, trinity-matrix-13, LolaQ, and Alixa Lightz!


	7. Recieve

Lisa, being completely out of questions answerable by Jackson, remained silent as they drove through barren pastures. The landscape was nothing but broken dirt and short, frazzled strands of grass and weeds that shone dull and dry against the sunlight. To Lisa's surprise, Jackson had not placed the blindfold back over her eyes, and so she was free to lean her head against the window and simply stare out. Lisa caught her reflection in the side mirror and grimaced; she looked terrible. Her face was pale and tear stained, her hair mussed, and only now were the imprints of tightly wrapped cloth fading from her skin.

"Oh, don't look so gloomy, Lise," commented Jackson, who had been watching her reactions out of the corner of his eye. "We'll need that dazzling smile of yours to get us through the next stop."

"What, your charms suddenly aren't enough?" she asked lazily, barely bothering to look at him when she did so.

"I didn't say that," he smiled back. "But if you enter the shopping mall looking like a hostage…well, we don't want to attract extra attention."

"The _shopping_ mall?" she asked, only now interested enough to catch his eye. "Why are we—"

"Let's just say we have a _long_ trip ahead of us and no provisions," he said. "Which reminds me…" Jackson kept his eyes on the road and his left hand on the leather steering wheel, but reached back with a free hand to search through a rather small black duffle bag. "Whala," he said, surfacing with a brush with a wooden handle.

"You'll need to tidy up," he informed her, tossing the object onto her lap. Lisa looked nearly disgusted at the prospect.

"Is this a remnant from your last kidnap-e?" she spat.

"Uh, no." He shook his head lightly. "No, I'm afraid that one's new." Lisa narrowed her eyes.

"Well, you'll need to untie me. I can't exactly brush my hair without any hands." Jackson frowned, though his stare remained on the road and random passing signs.

"All in good time," were his last words for a long while.

Lisa was surprised to see the town that formed in the lower hills, its colors reflecting off the sun and giving it a homely, glittering look. She knew she had never been to this place, especially when the words "Welcome to Wesport" flashed in plain text across a green road sign. And it wasn't until the hills parted, and Jackson's dark porche rolled into town, that Lisa realized they were on the coast.

"Alright," Jackson sighed as he pulled the car into park, "I'm going to untie you, but remember—we're a long way from Miami, and even farther from South Carolina. There's no one to run to, no way to warn your family, and if you misbehave in the _slightest_….all it takes is one call."

"I know," Lisa said softly, and held out her hands to him. Jackson obliged, and quickly unwound the ropes, allowing her to take off her seat belt and untie her bound ankles. After shaking out her arms, and rubbing the sore ends of her legs, she took up the brush and flipped down the mirror on her side's visor.

_I need a shower_, Lisa groaned inwardly, trying to comb through her mess of flattened curls. She ran her fingertips under her eyes, wiping away the traces of overnight make-up but unfortunately high lighting the dark circles that lay beneath.

"Ready?" Jackson asked after a moment of stillness.

"I don't think they'll let me in without any shoes," she quipped, glancing down to her bare feet. Jackson narrowed his eyes in annoyance, but after searching around in the back seat he handed her her black pair of high heeled shoes.

"You'll have these back _only_ until we can buy you some sandals," he said seriously. Lisa smirked in response.

The mall was larger than Lisa had expected, though it wasn't even two stories. The floor was covered with tiles that clanged in response to Lisa's thick footwear, and the walls were spackled white. She took in the drifting aromas of the plaza's food court—a mixture of pepperoni pizza, Chinese noodles, and lasagna—and suddenly remembered she had eaten nothing all day. Not that the bagel Jackson had offered was looking good, but still…

Lisa was practically chained to Jackson side; to onlookers, a victim of an overly possessive boyfriend. His gaze was relaxed—he even smiled a little—but the grip he had on Lisa's arm, which wound itself around his own, was a vice-like warning.

"Remember to smile, Lise," he whispered into her hair. Then, taking a more casual hold on his captive, he turned into a store and passed through its double glass doors. The florescent lights that hung above customers were somewhat dimmed by the shop's tall ceiling, but they cast a favorable glow on the racks of women's apparel. All the clothes were modest, cheerful, and mature, and Lisa longed to feel as comfortable as those inanimate objects. A young woman stood behind the counter, her eyes lazily focused on the task at hand. Jackson cleared his throat, and she looked startled for a moment, but relaxed and then brightened at the sight of this cozy couple.

"Can I help you?" she asked. Lisa turned her head away.

"Hi," Jackson grinned, "I'm here to pick up a clothing order."

"Alright," she smiled back, and set herself up at the front computer, "Last name?"

"Rippner."

"Okay, that comes to…" She scanned the page with a long manicured nail. "$227.65, and I'll be right back with your order." The girl left, her brown ringlets bouncing as she passed through the back door.

"Good job, Lise," Jackson murmured. "Now, remember to say thank you."

When two silver shopping bags with the store's logo were handed over to them, and Jackson had dealt with the price, Lisa did manage to mutter a small, almost apologetic word of thanks.

"Now, how about lunch?" he asked, scanning the mall for the food court. Lisa didn't answer, just kept her pleading eyes on passing people.

"I _said_—" Jackson reiterated, cupping her chin in his hand and making sure her eyes locked only with his, "How about lunch?"

"Lunch would be _fine_," she acknowledged. Jackson nodded, and let go.

He led them to an Italian restaurant, glanced over the overhead menu, and decided hurriedly not to eat the buffet. When he did order, it was to go. "We can eat in the car," he said. And then their shopping trip was over. Lisa carried the clothing bags, and Jackson handled the food.

"Eat up," he told her, settling himself in the driver's seat. Lisa opened her styrofoam box and saw a steaming side of sauce coated ravioli. For a moment Lisa was grateful to her captor, but it soon turned to suspicion. She loved ravioli.

Jackson's boxed spaghetti was open on his lap, and he put forkfuls into his mouth whenever he could take a hand away from the steering wheel. Lisa noticed they were driving towards the coast, and glanced helplessly at the tourists gathered on street corners, but kept her mouth occupied with food to restrain her voice. After a few calm minutes the car turned in front of a weather worn dock, where a huge ship—a cruise ship, Lisa thought absently—waded in the water around clusters of people. "Well, here we are," Jackson announced. Lisa put her utensil down to stare at him, then at the ship, and back at him.

"And here is…?"

Jackson motioned his head to the vessel.

"We're not—" Lisa started to say in disbelief, but Jackson cut her off.

"Yes, we are."

* * *

A/N: I know, I know! It's been a week! I'm really sorry, but I was having a serious dilemma with this fic. I ended up changing the entire plot. So yeah, now Jackson and Lisa are on a cruise. ;) Hmmm, I wonder what could happen with that… Btw, J/L shippers (which I hope all you guys are) will like the next chapter very much. Thank you all so much for reviewing, I love you guys to death!

Replies:

Sargonne: -sigh- I'm afraid there's no furiously passionate sex in this chapter, lol. But yes, Jackson did have a reason for teaching Lisa to shoot other than to get close to her; that was a bonus. ;) You'll see what the real plot of this story is later on, and what that had to do with it. Well, maybe in the next chapter. Thank you!

TheShoelessOne: First of all, WHY HAVEN'T YOU UPDATED TAKEN! –grabs you by the shoulders and shakes all possible sense into you- I NEED a new chapter! –calms down- er… not to stress to you out or anything… -whistles- Right, review. A 'roll in the hay?' LOL! Gosh, I didn't even see that! I may have to go back and re-write…;) Btw, I am totally dropping AP lit. That.Class.Is.Too.Hard. Grr… Thanks for the e-cookies! Now get crackin on Taken! Shoo!

The Nth Degree—Hey! Enigmaticy can be a word if you want it to be:D And thanks for the tips on the shooting, I'll need to go back and re-write that part once I have a better understanding. Isn't the Hannibal Tril awesome? Well, I actually didn't care for the second one, but I never into Clarice being played someone new. Thank you!

Seeiko—a kinky dinosaur? –spits out cheerios- Darnit! Man, that line led to a whole string of what I'm sure are unhealthy thoughts. ;) Thanks!

Claire Hall: And you! Where's the next installment of If You Like Pina Coladas! I'm DYING for more! And yeah, don't you wish she had helped assassinate someone in the movie? Could have been more fun. ;D The whole hiding in bushes camouflaged made me giggle. They would look so cute in matching camo suits, ne? ;) Thank you!

Eccentric banshee—Lol, you probably would get shot, but if I kicked Jackson he'd probably stab me, so yeah… I'm glad you liked the title, I was listening to the song and then Boom! Chapter title! Haha. I hope you're chores went okay. Here's a sympathy cookie for having to do them in the first place. ;) Thank you!

And a HUGE thank you to the rest of you: KC Chick, RoxieBarbieH8er, randomvacancy, Dave the laugh's new hotness, LolaQ, The Mercer Sister, Random Battlecry, Kate, Asanji, trinity matrix13, PrettyBean, Tigger180, blueeyedtears, Faith Catherine, Laurenmlbc, signs fan, Kendall, Bimefl, Jack E. Peace, MarieNymph, and silentsister!


	8. Sail

Lisa's heart pounded with a sickening intensity beneath her chest, and her eyes glazed over with unshed and unwanted tears. The leather seat felt suddenly hot and sticky, but in that moment the car had become a haven. She looked to Jackson, who was neatly placing their wardrobes in suitcases from the trunk, and then to the door on her side. It was on auto lock, which meant she couldn't get out without her captor hearing the _chink_ as the lock popped up. Lisa's hand rested tremulously on the door handle, but she knew that no matter how many times she thought it over, she wouldn't run. The chances of her successfully escaping, _and_ warning her mother were slim, mostly because Jackson (without a tracheotomy) could catch up with ease. And that left Lisa with the only option that truly frightened her—to leave with Jackson.

"I hope you're ready, Lise," Jackson said, walking around to the driver's seat, "because we need to board." Lisa couldn't even return his gaze; her brown eyes wavered in their focus on her quivering hands.

"No," she whispered.

"Hm?" he asked, poking his head in through the driver's side.

"I _can't_ go on this ship with you," she said slowly, trying to keep her tone steady.

"Of course you can," he smiled back, then: "and you will." Lisa shut her eyes as a wave of nausea flooded through her body. She could almost feel the bile rising in her stinging throat. Then Jackson was at her side, the door unlocked and flung open. A dark suitcase was shoved onto her lap, and she looked up at him; the expression in his guarded eyes told her everything she needed to know—there was no way around what he wanted her to do.

"Get up, Lise, we're going," he said coldly, then scanned the dock. When she didn't comply fast enough he roughly gabbed her upper arm and yanked her from the cushioned seat.

"Where are we going?" she asked breathily, no longer struggling against his violent hold.

"You'll find out soon enough," he said, clenching his jaw in an annoyed manner. Then he turned away to scan the dock. When his eyes were on her again his composure had been regained, and he slackened his grip on her until his fingertips, trailing gently down her arm, curled around her own like strangling vines.

The couple was easily camouflaged amid the hundreds of people clutching their baggage and each other. But Rippner stopped suddenly, near the edge of the crowd, and looked over the scene with an impatient gaze.

"Looking for someone?" came an older and deeper voice. Lisa recognized it, having just heard it earlier that day, and turned her head in the owner's direction. Jackson spun her around so that they were now both face to face with the newcomer.

"Lecton," Jackson acknowledged casually. The man nodded, letting his glasses shift slightly down the bridge of his nose.

"You've gotten the case, then?" he asked.

"Of course," Jackson responded, and tipped his head to motion to the parking lot. "It's in the trunk." He tossed Lecton the keys, then came in closer. Lisa didn't move. "I need our IDs," he continued, waiting while the man produced two plain brown wallets. Then they parted; no goodbyes, no thank yous.

"Here," Jackson said, and handed Lisa her wallet. She took it without interest, assuming he had taken her license from her home. As they walked up the dock, however, and prepared to board the ship, Lisa found she was very wrong.

"Tickets?" asked a younger man at the entrance. Jackson set down his suitcase to fumble with his wallet.

"Get your ticket, Lise," Jackson told her, but she could only stare. By handing over this ticket she was sealing her doom, just has she had when she'd given her pass to board the red eye all those months ago. "Lise?" Jackson broke her out of her reverie with mock concern. "Everything okay?" When she didn't respond he took the wallet from her, grabbed the ticket, and handed it back. The entrance worker looked at the young women sympathetically.

"Have a good trip, Mrs. Rippner," he said at parting. Jackson smartly grabbed the open mouthed Lisa before she could retort, and only slowed when they were safely on the deck.

"_What_ did he call me?" Lisa asked, eyebrows raised dangerously. Under normal circumstances, Jackson probably would have smirked, but now the only response she received was a distracted glance and a tug on her arm.

Jackson hurriedly drug her below deck, muttering room numbers on the tops of newly painted doors as they passed. When he finally found the room he was looking for he breathed in out in what Lisa supposed was relief. Then, after slipping a card through the lock near the handle, they entered.

Lisa held her tongue as an elegant light flooded her vision, casting a soft glow on the room. There was a single round window on the opposite wall, and from it streamed sunlight and the favorable green of the sea. The room wasn't too large, or at least it was small enough for Jackson to keep an eye on her. There was only one bed, a queen, and it was clothed in white linen and topped with a lacy spread. Near the headboard was another door that lead to the bathroom, but the light was off and Lisa couldn't see past it. Neatly placed in congruence around the peach walls were decorative paintings of either the sea or sea life. Had Lisa been with anyone else, she would have smiled.

"Well, what do you think?" Jackson asked, tossing his suitcase onto the bed. "It's a little too cheery for my tastes, but overall…" He smiled. "What, don't you like it?" The sarcastic tone behind his comment brought Lisa back to her senses.

"Why did he call me—?" she broke off, and breathed out in frustration. She couldn't even _say_ it.

"My wife?" Jackson finished for her, eyebrows raised just slightly. Lisa looked up, waiting for an answer. "Check your wallet," he said, motioning to the brown leather clutched in her hand. Then he reached for his suitcase and absorbed himself in the task of unpacking.

Lisa quickly opened the wallet, and saw her ID picture staring up at her. But the codes on the shining plastic were different, as was the name printed there. Lisa Henrietta Rippner. It seemed so real—_too_ real—to be able to actually see it in print, and she felt sick at the prospect of actually—_ever_—marrying…

"No," she said strongly, "No no _no_." This time, she did receive a smirk.

"Actually, yes." Jackson put his collared shirt down and strolled the three feet or so until he was standing in front of her. Their eyes locked, and he spoke. "For the next few weeks you _will_ be—" Smiling, he took the wallet from her, and glanced down to her license before looking back up. "Mrs. Rippner." Lisa's eyes narrowed as she glared fiercely.

"The next time you give me a gun, I'm going to shoot you," she told him.

Jackson leaned in until their foreheads were nearly brushing, amusement consuming his remarkable eyes. "Are you sure that's something you want to do?" he whispered, never taking his gaze from her. Lisa stumbled back, and her eyes flashed with a new nervousness.

"I've done it before," she snapped.

"Yes, you did. But a lot has happened since then, wouldn't you agree?"

After a pause, Lisa found she didn't want to answer him. Jackson tugged on her arm, motioning to the door. "Let's go watch the christening," he suggested.

This time, Lisa went without a fuss.

* * *

A/N: Phew! Okay, I got them on the cruise! And I'm sure you were expecting some L/J action in this chapter, so sorry that there's no smoochies yet. But it's coming, I swear! Thanks bunch for your reviews, guys! You all rock!

TheNthDegree—Lucky, I've never been on a cruise ship. –pouts- So, the description comes from cruise commercials, lol. Yep, the one's with the Kelly Clarkson music and everything. ;) And no, the target isn't on the ship. They're taking the ship to get to him. Um, it'll all make sense later, I swear. Great, I forgot about the sandals. But he'll get them, because he's Jackson and he has a high heel phobia. And no, that wasn't a bad joke, lol. It made _me _laugh. Have fun watching Hannibal!

Claire Hall—Dude! New chapter! NOW!

Seeiko—Muffles? Smuffle muffin? Omg, I seriously thought that was so funny! I had this vision of Jackson staring all sad at a pissed Lisa, and then saying, "Aww, smuffle muffin!" ;) You, my friend, rock.

TheShoeLessOne—You know, I was really unhappy with that last post, and then you told me to put in more descriptions, so I did, and I actually liked it a lot more. Gracias! Oh, and I actually decided sort of last minute not to drop AP lit. Probably a bad idea in the long run, but it's cool, lol. I don't like Ravioli, either. I was just thinking about what I usually saw in food courts, and down here there's always a lot on mini-Italian stands and whatever, so yeah. Have fun with the next update of Taken, I'm really excited to read it!

BIG thanks to: silentsister, signs fan, BregoBeauty, thesupernugget, Kate, Lola Q, Jack E. Peace, Evergreen702, Linsee, KC-Chick, and Trinity!


	9. Kiss

Jackson led Lisa over the polished wooden deck, his lips curled barely upward as he brushed through the crowds to find an unoccupied railing. After parking the two of them at their destination, he looked over the view with a sigh. Lisa glanced up at him, but her eyes soon became rooted to the spot. With a profound surprise she caught herself thinking that he looked bright, handsome, charming, all the things he had been when selling himself to her in that fateful tex-mex bar. The sun fell softly against his piercing features, enveloping him in an alien warmth. Lisa had to fight to tear her eyes away, and rested her uneasy gaze on the cool green sea. As soon as she was no longer observing him he turned back to her.

"Beautiful view, huh, Lise?" he asked, tipping his head slowly and staring at her with an intensity that made it difficult to focus on speech. Her lips parted slightly, but she closed them to swallow down the butterflies fluttering in the pit of stomach. After a moment she nodded mutely, and turned away. A loud horn sounded from within the ship, and though Lisa winced at the noise, Jackson remained unconcerned and partially unaware.

"I can see why you chose to remain in Florida," he continued.

"You've never gone site-seeing around the state, then?" she asked, not daring to turn her face to him.

"Nope," he answered simply. "I travel extensively, but sight seeing is something I can't usually engage in. After all, I only travel for one purpose."

"Killing," Lisa responded obviously.

"No," Jackson said slowly. "Managing."

Lisa glanced up at him this time. The breeze off the sea was tangling itself in his hair, and the light in his eyes caused him to squint slightly. "Where did you grow up?" she asked.

Surprise flickered barely and briefly across his face. "And why do you want to know that?"

"Well, you're obviously not familiar with states bordering the sea, so…I was just wondering," she concluded. Jackson pursed his lips together in thought before speaking.

"If you must know, I was raised in Chicago," he relented. Lisa nodded.

"That makes sense," she said, "Unless you're lying."

"You know I've never lied to you," he said, and smiled before continuing. "I said I might have to steal you, and look where we are today." Without thinking, Lisa glanced down to their hands. Jackson's hand was no longer gripping her wrist; their fingers were entwined. Lisa tried to wedge her fingers away, but he held on tighter. "I'd prefer it if you stopped trying to leave me," he murmured, closing in.

Lisa grimaced, but relented to his hold. She glanced behind, and did a sudden double take. Except for a few scattered people, the deck around them was mostly clear. In front of the two, the sea was breaking for the ship, and little by little the land became farther away.

"You'll have to call your dad later," Jackson said, intervening in the silence.

"What for?" she questioned.

"For his comfort," Jackson shrugged. "Once word gets out that daddy's little girl is missing, he just might call out every marine and coastal guard to get you back." Lisa smiled almost fondly.

"He probably would," she agreed.

"I would," Jackson said, in a possessive tone that both startled and confused Lisa. "If anyone thought to steal you away, I'd let them know how that made me feel with a big, brash, slit to their throats." Lisa shivered, allowing their hands to share the tremulous shake. Her heart was pounding in a slow, yet violent way. Had he just implied…?

"I don't know what you mean," Lisa protested softly.

"Don't you?" he questioned, his half crazed, beautifully blue eyes bearing down on her.

"No," she said, forcing herself to keep calm as she backed away, unfortunately hitting the white, cold bars of the railing.

"Well," he breathed, his face dangerously close to hers, "maybe this will help." In one swift, unplanned movement Jackson grabbed her chin, forcing her lips up to his. His other hand fell from hers and found the side of her face, keeping her firmly planted as he smoothed back her hair. Lisa gasped from the contact and tried to wriggle free, but Jackson used his body weight to press her inescapably against the railing. She muttered an inaudible "_No_," against his rough kiss, but it only made him more persistent. Jackson deepened the kiss, daring even to trace her teeth with his tongue, although he knew that if she granted him access, said teeth would chomp mercilessly into his flesh.

Only one thought was on Lisa's mind, and that was to get Jackson off of her. She hadn't begun to panic until she realized with surmounting horror that she enjoyed what they were sharing—what he was doing to her. That was when she had spoken. But Jackson hadn't stopped, and with his unrelenting passion her mind had cleared of nearly every mental stop sign, only to be replaced with a dizzy willingness to comply. She began kissing him back, and could feel the smirk rising on his lips. Yet as soon as she had given in he stopped, and tugged gently on her bottom lip before relinquishing them altogether. His hands, however, remained in her red curls until they fell to her shoulders.

Lisa turned her head from him, closing her eyes as a brief feeling of self disgust flooded through her. Jackson cupped the side of her face, forcing her to look at him. "Look, Lise," he said, and motioned to the view beyond her. "Nothing but green sea, no matter where you turn. That means you have nowhere to run to, and unlike our little ride on the red eye, we don't land for days. Face it, you're _mine_."

Lisa glared up at him, and with good reason slapped him across his face. "I belong to no one," she seethed. Jackson swiveled his jaw as his eyes narrowed.

"You belong to me more than any other man," he argued. "And you know it."

"What about you? You kidnapped me, requested a one bed hotel room just so I would sleep next to you. For heaven's sake Jackson, you changed my last name to _Rippner_!" Lisa knew her words were too bold, but she didn't care. She wanted him to confess to some of it, any of it, without really knowing why. Surprisingly, Jackson grinned.

"And does it scare you," he said, "knowing that I want you?"

Lisa's eyes widened, and she parted her lips to breath, "What?" in a dry mouthed whisper, but didn't get much further. Before she could protest, Jackson's arms were gripping the railing rods on each side of her, and his mouth was once again brushing possessively against hers.

* * *

A/N: Well, there you have it! The long awaited kiss! –breaks out soda- Woohoo! I'm really sorry it took me so long to update; I honestly didn't even realize that it had been such a long time until checked back on the story's date. But I hope you guys will like this chapter, and if you don't, please remember that constructive criticism is more than welcome. Thanks!

TheShoelessOne—YAY! –glomps- Sorry, I just have to tell you again how excited I am that you're back and updating! But first I just have to comment on "Bro's before ho's." –cracks up- I love you. Now, the fic. I'm glad you liked the Mrs. Rippner thing, and I hope the 'hottness' in this chapter is to your liking. I wasn't sure how much I liked the kiss, I guess because I decided to do it earlier than planned, but I was bored, lol. And no, Lisa's bumping someone off. But don't tell the other reviewers, it's a secret! Shhh! ;) Now, go update Taken! I need to know how trash duty works out. –grins-

LasVegasGirl—I know, the cruise ship was pretty random, huh? But it'll be way cool, I swear! Lol. And what in the hell is Jackson doing? Being Jackson, which usually implies a fondness for messing with people's minds. Poor Lisa. Anyway, thanks!

Signs Fan—I like how you've caught on to the fact that Lisa might not be Mrs. Rippner just for the next few weeks. But I'm not saying anything else. –zips lips- Hope you'll like the smoochies! D Thanks!

And BIG thanks to: Trinity (are you sure it's dragged?), KC-Chick, Riddick's Sita, BregoBeauty, Alixa Light, Kayla, Anime Kisses, Talya, Bimefl, Evergreen702, LolaQ, Dave-The-Laughs-NewHottness, Violet Eternity, me, Kate, Laurenmlbc, be11011, Jessica, and WormmonABC!


	10. Aftermath

Lisa leaned her head back, brow furrowed, as Jackson took up a hand and slid his fingers through her hair. His lips were passionate on hers, and she could barely think, let alone fight back. Only small inaudible murmurs fell from her mouth and into his. He seemed to need her with that kiss, seemed to ache for their bickering and physical fights, their drunken conversations, and the closeness resulting from heady kisses and pressed bodies. Jackson nuzzled her as he released her lips, breathily heavily and staring searchingly into her tearless eyes. Lisa held his gaze with compassion, but the connection left her pained and she turned away, horrified.

Lisa swallowed, her eyes resting sharply on the left half of the ship's deck. "Get away from me, Jackson," she said seriously, flickering her gaze to him as she fought to keep her emotions in check.

"Lise," he said calmly, cupping her cheek against his palm, "look at me." She shook her head and glared defensively.

"I said," she reiterated, _"Get away."_

"Well, I'm afraid I can't do that," he said. "All part of the job, remember?"

"Yeah," Lisa remarked, "this is very professional." Jackson sighed, gathering her chin into the tips of his fingers.

"Come on, you're having dinner with me," he said, backing away. Lisa stared. That was it? No attempts to explain himself, no excuses or words of persuasion? Jackson responded to her blank expression by extending his hand. "You have to get ready," he continued.

"Just dinner?" she asked, her eyes shining skeptically. He nodded. Realizing she had no choice, Lisa walked almost dazedly at his side with slow, hesitant steps. What was she afraid of? With a start Lisa realized she would never see Jackson as a rapist. The impropriety of it was somehow unfitting.

"Everything you need should be in here," Jackson informed her, placing a wide black suitcase into her arms. She took it quickly and made her way into the bathroom, switching on the light and locking the door behind her. The interior of the room was more or less in the same fashion as the bedroom. The walls were the same beige color, and on them hung two blue-framed prints. The sink was a cool, clean silver, and Lisa gathered the running water in her cupped hands, rinsing off her fingers and face before glancing to the clear glass shower. _Thank you_ Lisa mentally smiled to no one in particular.

The warm water and soap that ran over her dirt and sweat stained skin were heaven sent, and she reveled in the cleanliness that resulted. But even in the building steam, alone and not plagued by Jackson's constant, unrestrained proximity, she couldn't clear her mind. The feel of his lips on hers seemed permanent, and with every drop of water that fell over her mouth she remembered the taste of him, remembered the steady, searching looks he had given her. When she opened her eyes, there were tears running hot and slow down her face.

"Damnit!" Lisa breathed angrily, smoothing back her shampooed hair and scrunching up her face as she barely suppressed a string of sobs. As it was Lisa's style to exchange emotions for tasks, she busied herself with rinsing off. The tears didn't cease, but soon the water was running cold and she knew she had been in long enough. After turning off the faucet she squeezed out her hair and towel dried her body, then went for the suitcase. The locks were easy to unhook, and Lisa popped up the lid, staring narrowed eyed into the chest of clothing and accessories.

She pulled out the tops and skirts one by one, noting the moderate colors and conservative lengths. The few pieces of jewelry were relatively plain, only containing one, two jewels at most. Everything was, undeniably, exactly how she liked it. After pursing her lips together in thought she decided on a safe, comfortable light blue top that stopped at her elbows and created an oval dip along her chest. The skirt she chose was plain black, and it flowed about at her knees. Lisa frowned as she put the clothing on; they both fit her like a glove. She towel dried her hair once more before reaching for the complimentary blow dryer attached to the wall.

After fifteen minutes or so of fussing with her curls she put everything down, and had to restrain a smile at her reflection. Much better, she thought. A knock came at the door, and Lisa jumped slightly. "Finally ready, Lise?" Jackson asked. Without answering, she quickly re-packed her things, only stopping to slide on a silver bracelet, and breathed in deeply before hesitantly opening the door.

Their eyes met, a green sea being taken over by shards of blue ice. His lips turned upward as he scanned her choice of dress. "I'm a better shopper than I thought," he admitted smugly.

"Yes, you have a great knack for shopping in the women's section," she agreed, amusement hidden in her restrained featured.

"Oh, don't think I shop there often," Jackson said. "This was for you. And from the look of it, I know you very well."

"If I had stalked you for as long as you were following me, I think I'd have a pretty good idea of your taste in wardrobe, too," she argued calmly. Lisa found she was afraid to admit, even to herself, that Jackson did indeed know her well. Too well.

In response, he simply nodded. Nodded and stared. "Well, should we go?" he asked after a pause.

"It's not as though I have a choice," Lisa said, and wound her arm around his outstretched one.

Above their cabin the sun was slowly setting behind the sea, creating a favorable orange glow that landed across the deck. The breeze off the water was becoming cool, and Lisa shivered. "It'll be warmer inside," Jackson commented.

He was right. Jackson held the glass, gold-framed double door open for his companion, and she passed through quickly. The inside was elegant; large and lit by a hanging chandelier and congruently placed wall sconces. At the head of the room was a white stage where several nicely suited musicians drifted long fingers over finely tuned instruments. In the middle of them was a pale, long haired women whose voice drifted softly into the microphone. Lisa felt butterflies drift anxiously around her insides as she and Jackson were seated around a round wooden table, clothed with lace and single candle. The intimacy of the setting filled her unease, and she turned her gaze anywhere but at him.

"What would you like to drink?" The waiter's voice broke through her thoughts. He was a middle-aged man with a completely shaven head and a gracious smile.

"She'll have a seabreeze, and I'll have the same. Thank you," Jackson nodded to the waiter as he left. Then he looked across at Lisa. "Well, what do you think you'll have?" Lisa parted her lips, but shut them when she saw the menu folded on the table. Grateful for the distraction, she began to slowly eye the names of dishes. The waiter came back quickly, and set down their drinks before heading off. Jackson smiled, and gracefully curled his fingers around the glass. He raised it up.

"For old time's sake," he nodded. Lisa did likewise, although mutely, and gulped the alcohol until her glass was nearly empty. Then she went back to her menu. The waiter came back shortly.

"Are you ready to order?" he asked.

"Yes, I'll have the steak, medium rare, sauce on the side. Lise?"

"Um," Lisa looked nervously down at her menu. "The seafood platter. Thank you," she ended shyly, handing over the menu as the waiter collected it.

"So…" Jackson mused when their server had gone, "how do you like the place?"

"It's fine," Lisa replied shortly, trying her best to avert his eyes. Before giving up on finding something more interesting to invest her gaze in there was loud, hollow bang from behind her, followed by several uneasy giggles. The lead drummer on stage had somehow lost a vital part to his instrument, which was now rolling along the stage. The cringing man followed after it, took hold of the skidding object, and went sheepishly back to his post. Lisa smiled, even beginning to laugh a little at the incident, and then she stared up at Jackson, who was grinning. With eyebrows raised in good humor he commented, "Oh my." To Lisa's surprise she mirrored his amused reaction with that same light-hearted grin, but it faded slowly. Lisa's eyes fell against the softly lit tablecloth, and she sighed, listening to the woman who sang what Lisa thought were dreary slow songs into the microphone.

"All right you bunch," the woman cooed once her last song had finished, "I want you to grab that special someone and head out onto the dance floor for this one. Come on, come on," she urged, waving the giddy couples onto the polished floor. Lisa couldn't believe she was blushing, but the intense stare she felt Jackson giving her combined with the overly romantic atmosphere made her want to cry.

"Dance with me."

Lisa looked at Jackson with dumb eyes and slightly raised eyebrows. "What?"

Jackson stood up, and his next statement was not a question. "Dance with me," he repeated. Lisa's mouth parted as she stared up at him, but he came around to her side nonetheless and held out a hand.

"I'm not your sweetheart," she argued softly.

"I didn't say you were. I only asked for a dance." Lisa bit her lip, averting his gaze to stare at the sea of happy couples. The music had begun, a soft, lulling melody. _Come away with me, and I… _

Lisa knew that he wouldn't take no for an answer, and any resistance on her part would end badly. So tremulously, hesitantly, she put her hand in his, and allowed him to help her up. Jackson slithered through the couples, pulling Lisa with him, only stopping when love struck bodies were enclosing them from every side.

Lisa looked up at Jackson, at the guarded, yet searching face that glowed against the soft white light of the stage. Without breaking his gaze he took her hand and placed it on his shoulder, then tucked his hand above her hip. Lisa obligingly took his other hand in hers, her skin placed willingly against his. One final tug took her closer to him, and she shivered, her breathing becoming shallower.

"You know," Jackson breathed, head tilted into her hair while his words stung hot against her ear, "I wouldn't have killed you." Lisa closed her eyes briefly, then lengthened their closeness enough to hold his gaze.

"You didn't seem too merciful when you held me up by my hair and put a knife to my throat," she said, eyes narrowed slightly. Jackson lips tugged barely upward, his eyes showing brief amusement.

"Well, you put a bullet through me. But trust me, I wouldn't have killed you," he amended. Lisa expression turned skeptical. She waited for him to speak further, but he just pulled her closer than before, so that neither could see the other but their chest were brushing.

"What do you want from me Jackson?" she softly question, her words barely muffled by the top of his coat.

The music had stopped, and Jackson let up on his partner, giving that comfortable half smile. But there was something pained in his eyes that made her question her inquiry. "I want you to eat with me," he said, motioning to where there food was being laid out. Lisa parted her lips to speak again, but Jackson took hold of her hand and led her through the crowd.

Dinner was served.

* * *

A/N: Okay guys, I just want to let you know that I'm more than willing to re-write this chapter. I felt like it came a little too fast, and the whole chapter was one big bowl of J/L love. Ah well. Constructive criticism is more than welcome. Things pick up after this, and the plot starts to unroll. Ooooo! Btw, I went back and adjusted a few of the last chapters, just taking out dialogue, putting some in, and the gun scene was slightly re-written, so you can check that out if you want. It's nothing bug, though. I'm also working on re-writing Unexpected and I'm almost done with the second and last chapter, so woohoo! ;D Thank you guys so much for your reviews, they really mean the world to me!

The Mercer Sister – Hey girl! Yeah, it's been awhile, but no worries. :D I know, the dvd needs to come out now. I'm like, dying for January 3rd. Lol, who wouldn't want to be cornered by Jackson? –sigh- Thanks for the review!

Nth Degree – lol! Good to know you liked the update, and yeah, water totally rocks. Hehe. Thanks!

TheShoelessOne – Hey there! Thank you so much for your opinions, as always. Your reviews are always my fav. And I didn't think your kiss in your fic was early at all. It was a good pace for yours, but my romantic fics are just really slow… like, really really slow, lol. And sorry, there's not going to be any sex. Not for a good long while. I know, I'm such a nun. ;) And lol your fic, for them getting it on "every five secs." Hehe! Again, thank you, and update your dang fic sooooonnnn!

LolaQ – Awww, thank you! I'm glad you really liked the kiss! –beams- But darn you for catching on, you're ahead of the class! Lol. But yes, your assumption will become real very soon. And it'll be cute, I swear. ;)

Signs fan – Thank you, I try to write Jackson to the best of my abilities, but I'm afraid I made him a little too mushy in this chapter. And I think there's a lot more to Jackson than just wanting to possess Lisa, like you said. But he's not great with expressing his feelings, is he? Poor guy. ;) Thank you so much!

Red Hood Ninja – Aw, thank you! I'm glad you like the story:D You inspired me to make Lisa not swoon for Jackson in this chapter like I had originally planned, and I'm glad that you said what you did. It'll work better in later chapters. Thanks again!

Also, BIG HUGE thanks to: Elgeria, Pirate-gurl5, Discord Marie, Bimefl, Vero, WormmonABC, Shadowed Spirit, Silver Anarchist, KC-Chick (You're review made me laugh, lol), be11011, Trinity, DTLNH, lovinallenman, ghostsheep, thesupernugget, baloola, Allison, MarieNymph, Kate, Brego Beauty, Mini Nicka, and Faith-Catherine!


	11. Save

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to my good friend Kate, who has given me the gift of post-theater Red Eye. Much love, girly!

* * *

The dishes they had each ordered for dinner turned out to be much more fulfilling than the food court spaghetti and ravioli they had enjoyed earlier that day. Unfortunately, Lisa found she wasn't very hungry to begin with, and so forced the food down only to forgo Jackson's suspicion. The seafood platter was good, she had to admit, but her stomach tightened with stress and the pain was made worse with the nausea the unwanted meal created.

"You alright there, Lise?" Jackson asked, looking up from his plate.

Lisa swallowed down a breaded shrimp. "Fine," she lied. After washing down the piece with another swig of her seabreeze, though, she just sat back, watching her companion eat.

"Did you like Chicago?" she asked after a moment.

Jackson had been raising a fork to his mouth, but stopped at her words, and slowly set the utensil down. "Chicago?" he repeated. Lisa nodded. "Not really," he admitted. "But I did get a start there."

"In this…business?" she presumed.

"Yes."

There was another pause, during which time Lisa thought over the possible answers to her next question. "What was your childhood like?"

Jackson smirked. "Trying to get inside my head, Miss Riesert?"

"I was just wondering," she shrugged, avoiding his eyes once more.

He shifted in his chair, staring intently at the young woman across from him. "Well, I'll tell you this: it wasn't so peachy as yours."

Lisa nodded, somewhat sympathetically, and reached for her glass of vodka. The two of them sat in silence for a while, neither eating, only occasionally taking sips of their drinks. They watched the band play upbeat songs from the stage, and followed the soft lights that circled around the dance floor. Jackson sighed. "Are you done?"

"Yeah," she said.

Jackson stood up. "Let's go," he said, glancing at her over his shoulder before heading out.

By the time the couple left the sun had already set, and the view from the deck railing was covered in a deep blue visible only by the gently falling moonlight. The stars were numerous, but partly hidden by thin clouds. Jackson walked casually with Lisa out to the edge, and together they stared at the slowly lapping water.

"What do you need me for?" Lisa asked, craning her neck to watch his reactions. "Don't you think it's time you told me?"

"Actually, I don't. So stop asking," he said briskly. His gaze never left the sea, although it wavered.

Lisa didn't know why, but for the first time she avoided a snappy comment for the sake of preventing another argument. She guessed she was tired of fighting with him, but never gave thought to the idea that she didn't want to ruin this quiet moment of normalcy they were sharing. Apparently, Jackson thought the silence was just as odd, because he turned his face to her and said, "You're being an awfully compliant hostage."

Lisa stared pointedly ahead. "I doubt whatever I could say about this mission would make any difference to you, so for the time being my lips are sealed."

"Good girl," Jackson smiled, "You're finally catching on." There was another pause, during which time he put his hands into his coat pockets. His eyes flickered with surprise, then a slight smile appeared on his lips. "I almost forgot…" he trailed off, taking the object out of his left pocket.

It was a small black box covered in imitation velvet. Inside, as Jackson quickly showed, was a glistening diamond ring. The band was silver, and at the very top was the largest stone pressed between two smaller ones on either side. Lisa looked uneasily at the pricey wedding band.

"Give me your hand," Jackson commanded, but his eyes were strangely alight.

"Trying to make us official?" she questioned sarcastically, but surrendered her left hand nonetheless.

Jackson held her at the wrist, and was surprisingly gentle when he slid the band along her ring finger. Lisa's expression turned slowly sad as she watched him perform this action. No man had ever given her a ring before.

Then again, Jackson wasn't really a man. He was the manager of a terrorist cell.

Lisa's eyes lingered on the shining object, and she moved her fingers around to watch the glistening effect. Jackson stood patiently at her side, watching for a grander reaction. Then their eyes met, and one look at her heart rendering expression told Jackson not to ask for a kiss from the bride.

* * *

Jackson swiped his card through the automatic lock, and opened the door for Lisa and him to enter. After flipping on the light switch he took off his neatly pressed jacket and tossed in carefully onto the bedspread. Lisa continued to look around, obviously still uncomfortable with the living arrangement.

"Well—" Jackson began, but he was cut off by a forceful knock on the door to their room. Lisa watched as his body went rigid, and felt suddenly afraid. "That isn't room service," he told her in a hushed voice, striding over and grabbing her roughly by the shoulders. Jackson led her into the bathroom, and closed the door as quietly as possible. After he had gone, Lisa pressed her ear eagerly against the painted wood.

When Jackson finally opened the door a young employee, shorter than himself, stood determinedly in his way. "Can I help you?" Jackson asked.

"Mr. Rippner?" he asked in return.

"Yes. Is there something you need?" he continued compliantly.

"The captain wishes to speak with you, sir. Preferably now." Something like panic flickered briefly in Jackson's eyes, but the boy was oblivious the quiet change in him.

"Would you happen to know why?"

"No, sir. I was only sent to bring you."

"I see," Jackson nodded. "Well, let me talk with my wife and I'll be up shortly."

"I'll tell him," the young man said, "thank you."

Jackson craned his neck both ways before shutting the door. "Lisa," he called, and she quickly came out of her hiding place between the bathroom door and double sink.

"Why would the captain want to speak with you?" she asked worriedly.

"I don't know, but it doesn't sound too good, does it?" He frowned grimly and reached for the suit jacket he had taken off only moments before.

"If you get caught—"

"_If_ I get caught," Jackson interrupted, "then you at least know how capable we both are. We'll think of something."

Jackson exhaled deeply before the entry door, then took hold of the handle and turned back to Lisa. "Don't wait up," he told her, and shut the door behind himself.

* * *

A/N: I'm so sorry it took so long to get this up! Am I lazy or what? But I promise the next chapter will be up much quicker, and the plot will start to unravel. I hope this chapter was okay. I haven't had a chance to check out this new reply to reviewer thing, so I'm not going to reply to you guys on this chapter until I try that first. Everyone who gives a signed in review should receive a reply fairly quickly. Thanks so much for your comments! Much love! 


	12. Stay

Jackson clenched and unclenched his fists as he started towards the Captain's quarters. The cool night air lingered on his features, making him tense further. In the surrounding darkness he thought about how easy an escape would be, and several times his eyes darted to the evenly spaced lifeboats on the side of the deck. The only problem was Lisa's absence, and Jackson firmly told himself that he wasn't leaving without her. Besides, he was intelligent, charming, handsome; couldn't he talk his way out of whatever predicament the captain would undoubtedly put him in?

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Jackson took a step back, waiting for an answer from the other side of the door. Sure enough, it didn't take but three seconds before the door was swung open, and an older employee raised an eyebrow at him. "Jackson Rippner?"

"The one and only," he tried to smile.

"This way," the man said, and ushered him in.

The captain's work station was a compact room with a table, a few devices linked to the ship, and three cushioned back chairs. "Mr. Rippner, thank you for coming," an older man greeted him. He had a round gut that looked surprisingly fine when fitted around his captain's uniform, and an exhausted, albeit genuine grin.

"So," Jackson began, clapping his hands together, "what am I here for?"

"Sit down, Mr. Rippner," he replied, gesturing towards the open seats.

"Thank you," Jackson said, doing as told and adjusting himself on the chair.

"Now, I need you to help me with a little identification," the captain said, and took up a manila folder. He set it down on the table, and spread out the four black and white snapshots from inside. Jackson tensed instantly, but tried desperately to hide his reaction.

"Here you are, Mr. Rippner," the captain continued, pointing out Jackson's small self among the many other passengers who all waited to for the cruise ship to dock. "And your wife, Lisa," he said, giving him a quick, strange glance. "Now, this is all fine. You're just passengers on a cruise ship, right? But who's this?" he pointed now to Lecton, who looked rather annoyed as he was being tossed the keys.

"This man, Edward Lecton, was caught earlier this morning on charges of possession of illegal weaponry and supposedly planning to assassinate the leader of Mexico." He paused, allowing Jackson to draw in a steady breath. "Now, I'm sure we both know that with the upcoming elections, an assassination would be very dangerous not only on the polls, but on the country as a whole. That's why we've been asked to take special precautions and watch over our passengers. We've never had a problem until now."

The captain eyed Jackson, who at the moment was having a hard time remembering how to deal with this certain situation. He was no longer in control; not of the plans, not even of Lisa. "This man is an associate of mine, yes," Jackson tried to explain, "we use the same company car. Why do you think I was giving him the keys? He has to drive to work somehow. I don't think you have any right to badger and accuse me in this way. My wife was worried enough when you—"

"Well, she won't be in the dark for long," the captain cut in. "Guards!" he shouted.

Lisa was ushered in, walking slowly and looking slightly wide-eyed. She turned to Jackson, who looked evenly, almost warningly at her.

"I'm sorry to drag you all the way up here, ma'am," the captain apologized. "Please, have a seat."

"What—what's going on?" Lisa asked. She sat down cautiously, keeping her eyes on the man talking to her.

"Is this man your husband?" he asked, gesturing towards Jackson. Lisa also tensed, but recovered quickly. Her lips parted.

_He must know_, she thought. _And if I tell him… I'll be free. And Jackson…_

Lisa turned towards her captor, and though his face was falsely calm, and his eyes were holding her gaze in a mute warning, she saw him as helpless. He was bleeding atop her stairs again, and she was holding the gun in her hand. But if she pulled the trigger, what would become of him?

He would go to jail. He would die.

Why did she suddenly care?

"Yes," she said softly. Then, more loudly, "Yes, he is."

Jackson's shoulders slumped slightly, as if in relief, but Lisa didn't dare to even glance at him. The captain simply nodded. "Do you know this man?" he asked, pulling out the picture that Jackson had been shown and pointing out Lecton with a fat finger.

Lisa finally glanced up at Jackson, who spoke for her. "I already told you he's my associate," Jackson began in annoyance.

The captain put a hand up. "I want her to tell me," he said.

"That's Lecton; he works with Jackson," Lisa responded. "What's going on?"

"Your husband is being questioned about the illegal weapons Edward Lecton was transporting, along with a planned assassination that he failed to carry out." The captain looked grimly as Lisa. "Any information either of you could provide would be very useful."

"Assassination?" Lisa asked in surprise.

"My wife and I had nothing to do with this. If what you say is true, I can assure you it was a sick plan I took no part in." Jackson looked at the man, his piercing blue eyes cold but seemingly honest. There was a tense moment of deliberation before the captain sighed.

"I'm not used to this kind of criminal activity taking place on my ship," he admitted. "So I'll take your word, for the moment, and let you return to your cabin. You'll most likely be brought in for questioning tomorrow morning, though."

Jackson stood up. "Thank you," he said, and shook the man's hand firmly. Lisa nodded, and attempted to smile. Few words were exchanged before they breathed in the cold night air.

Jackson linked her arm in his, and they walked brusquely towards their room. "You lied for me," he said in quiet voice, once they were in the hallway.

Lisa raised her eyebrows. "For you?" she whispered back. "Since when do I do _anything_ for you?"

"Since you became more than my job," he said, and his eyes looked straight ahead, his mouth a firm, unwavering line.

He swiped his card through the lock, and craned his neck to scan the hallway behind them before entering the room. After flipping the light switch on, he did a slight jog over to the bed, and hurriedly grabbed his suitcase. "Get your bags, we're leaving," he said, not bothering to turn around.

"What?" Lisa asked, walking over to his side.

"We can't stay here. I'm guilty, and it won't be long before the captain calls in the navy to cuff me and lock me away."

"But…" Lisa began, and picked up her duffle bag slowly. "How are we—"

"There are lifeboats stationed every few feet around the deck," Jackson informed her, "I'll need you to help me cut a few ropes, but after that…" he smirked, "It'll be smooth sailing."

"It's the middle of the night!" Lisa protested. "And in case you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!"

"Oh, believe me—I noticed," he quipped. "But we're not that far from the coast. And I've got enough supplies to last us as long as we'll be out there."

"I'm not going!" Lisa announced, dropping her bag to the floor. Jackson stopped packing and turned halfway to face her. He narrowed his eyes.

"You know, I'm surprised you're not more worried about the consequences of not cooperating. I control dear mother's fate, remember?"

Lisa's features dulled, no longer angry, but serious. "Are you going to kill her, Jackson? Would you really have one of your dogs stab my mom with his sharp little military knife?" Her eyes were defiant, and she waited for an answer.

"Do you really want to test me?" he asked.

"As a matter of fact," Lisa said, giving her bag a good kick before setting herself down on the bed, "I do."

Jackson gripped the end of his suitcase tightly. "I don't have time for this, Lisa. We have to go _now_."

"Well, too bad, because it looks like you'll be sailing alone."

Jackson let out a slow, calming breath, shutting his eyes while his hair fell across his vision. Lisa glanced at him for a moment, then looked away to fix the end of her skirt. She waited almost patiently for his anger; for a threat or a rough tug at her arm. But it never came.

"Fine. Stay here, Lisa. You can get off in Mexico," Jackson said, his voice hiding all traces of emotion. He snapped the locks on his bag and stood up straight. Their eyes locked.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye," he said, giving her an almost fond half smile.

"What?" Lisa said quietly, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Hey, even I have to save my ass sometimes," he smirked. "You're not necessary to the job anymore, so if you don't want to come, don't."

Lisa's lips parted, but even as he inched closer to the door, she couldn't find the words.

His hand gripped the handle, and all she could say was, "Fine. I won't."

He was halfway out the door when he stopped. His eyes traced the lines on the wooden floor before he brought his head up to meet her gaze. "You know, I-," he paused, looking suddenly anxious. "I always…" Again, he stopped, and shook his head a little. "See you around," he ended lamely.

And then he was gone.

Lisa sprung up from the bedside and jogged to the door. She pressed a palm against it, staring at the barrier in disbelief. Then she backed away from it, glancing all around the room. He was gone. Everything that reminded her of him - gone.

Lisa was sure her sudden freedom should have been the first thing on her mind, but all she could think was, _always what? You always what, Jackson?_

Yes, all his belongings were gone. But Lisa never needed anything material to remember Jackson by. There were no amount of physical items that could separate Lisa from her memories. In her mind, she saw flashes of his frightening gaze, heard his angry tone, both of which melted into the rare smiles he would give her, and the times their situation had become ridiculously friendly. She felt his lips on hers, felt the way he needed her when his body was pressed - constricted, even - against her own. And he wanted her—a fact he had confessed on several occasions. Not the type of wanting where a person looks at something to be used, but rather the kind that is inclusive to everything a person is. Jackson didn't just want her body, he wanted _her_.

Lisa wasn't used to that. Not anymore, anyway.

But what did it matter? He had left her, and all for the better, she assumed. He was a killer, and after he had dirtied her hands in this new assassination, there would have been nothing left in him that she could believe was truly human.

But there wasn't an assassination. The plans had been destroyed by one man's carelessness.

_"You know, I - …I always…"_

Lisa sunk back onto the bed, where tears she hadn't known were brimming fell unchecked down her pale face. Slowly, she raised her head, glancing to the bedside table for a box of tissues. The sleek silver links of a man's watch stared back. She recognized it immediately; it never left Jackson's wrist.

_Then why…?_

_Oh_, Lisa thought to herself. _He must have forgot it. He-he was in a hurry…_

Still dazed, she picked up the cold clump of metal and turned it over in her small hands. Lisa shivered as she slipped it over her fingertips, and rested it on her wrist. It was nice - expensive - probably bought with blood money. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to take it off.

Lisa swallowed. She realized, as she clutched the watch against her wrist, that she never wanted to take it off. She never wanted him to leave. And she wished he would have dragged her out on deck, and tied her to their escape boat.

Lisa had never hated him more.

Suddenly, Lisa ripped the watch off her wrist and clutched it angrily in her hand. She stood, and marched irately across the room to the door. "You want out of my life," she spat to the surrounding emptiness, "then you can take your damn watch with you."

And she, too, fled out the door.

It nearly pitch black on the deck. The lights were low, and strung far apart. The restaurants had shut their doors, and the music was gone, replaced by the low whistle of the wind off the sea. Her eyes checked each of the lifeboats as she passed, and lingered on the lapping ocean water as she continued her search. She had managed to circle the deck twice before she stopped, fear gripping at her. Was he gone already? The sea spray, lifted high by the fervent wind, stung her face and unclothed arms and legs, but she stood still against it. Lisa walked slowly over to the edge of the deck and peered out.

Nothing; not even a black spot she could identify as him.

Lisa startled when a strong hand grabbed her roughly by the upper arm, spinning her around. She was prepared to throw the watch in his face and stomp back to her room. She was prepared to shove him away and swear and accuse. She was prepared for anything except the look in his eyes.

His entire face was alight with hope. The emotion was so foreign, Lisa thought, that it made his bright eyes seem slightly crazed. Jackson stared at her expectantly, devouring her miserable face, his hands still gripping her arms. He breathed heavily in relief, in and out, and continued watching her reaction. Lisa knew her own expression had fallen; she knew she didn't look angry in the least.

"I knew you'd-"

"You-" she stuttered softly, cutting him off. "you forgot your watch."

He swallowed, and though nothing in his expression dimmed, his breathing returned to its normal pace. Slowly, Jackson dropped his hold on her, and took the object from her open palm. He stared at it for a minute, and rubbed his thumb over the smooth top. After pocketing it, he asked, "Is that all I forgot, Lise?"

Jackson started to take a step towards her, closing any gap between them, when she asked suddenly, "You always what, Jackson?"

His eyes widened slightly, and he stopped, putting his foot back down. Then, his gaze turned hard. "No. Not until you come with me. You might be here voluntarily, but I have my conditions, too." He extended his hand. "I've cut the ropes," he explained. "It's now or never, Lisa."

Tremulously, Lisa stretched her fingers, but kept her hand at her side.

The options rotated in Lisa's mind. She could stay, remain with her dad, her restless job, and the life that resounded in safety and unfulfilling routines… she could be free of every plaguing horror Jackson involved her in. Or she could go with him, the killer, the man who abstained from morals like a priest abstains from sin.

If she went, she would lose every security.

If she stayed… the longing would bury her.

Why did he have to look at her like that?

Slowly, she raised her hand, and hesitated only a moment before placing it in his. His touch was inviting - warm, even. It was anything but the tragedy she had imagined. Jackson grinned, and pulled her against him, giving her a quick kiss. "We have to hurry," he warned, pulling her along.

When they reached their small boat, Jackson let go of her hand, and threw a cord of rope for her to hold. "Hoist slowly. Neither of us can let go; we can't risk the noise." He paused, and she gripped the rope tightly. "On three: one, two, now!"

Lisa's arms shook as she struggled to raise their poor vessel. "Jackson-" she whispered in panic, "I don't think I can hold it…"

Jackson glared coldly at her, but she could see the panic start to creep into his eyes, as well. "Let go of that rope, and I swear Lise, I'll give you more than just a few scars. Then I'll dump your body into the Atlantic."

Anger propelled her. The boat began rising again. "Fine, but have fun paddling to shore with nothing but your weak arms stuffed into your cheap suit."

Jackson ignored her. He gently helped the boat over the railing before tying knots to steady the dangling vessel. Both were out of breath as Jackson gestured, saying, "Your chariot awaits you."

Lisa rolled her eyes, but took a step forward. The rickety transport swung slightly. "You first," she demanded, caution taking hold.

But Jackson's hand was on hers, and he pulled her with him, steadying her enough to keep their movements hushed. "The crew are making their rounds. Untie the knot, but hold it there. One three, we drop. Ready?"

"I-" Fear gripped her as she surveyed the lapping water below.

"One, two-"

Lisa shut her eyes briefly, then yanked the rope free.

"Three!"

Lisa mashed her teeth together, gripping the side as they fell into the darkness below. As they crashed into the waves, she tumbled slightly from her position, and heard Jackson smack against the side of the boat. She blinked slowly, and turned when she heard splashing.

Jackson was paddling away from the ship.

Realizing it was, for the most part, over, Lisa put one hand over her heart, attempting to steady her nerves. Her breathes came in short, disbelieving gasps.

After a moment, she turned to Jackson. He was sitting at the front, a paddle in each hand, and grinning wildly. Lisa had never seen him look so happy.

"I always knew it was going to be you," he explained. Lisa suddenly remembered their deal, and sat up straighter, listening intently. Her auburn hair blew forward, framing her face. "From the moment they handed me your photo, eight weeks before our flight. Even when you shot me, I still knew."

"Knew what?" she asked quietly. Her heart was beating violently; she shivered.

"That you were the one. That no matter where you went, I would always follow. That even if you had chosen to stay on that ship, I would have been waiting for you at port."

"But…but why?" she asked.

He shook his head, a slight smile still on his lips. "You're a smart girl," he reminded her. "I'm sure you can answer that one yourself. Besides, our deal was that I finish my sentence…in exchange for your cooperation. Now, cooperate and sleep. I'll need your help paddling in the morning."

He tossed a heavy, dark blanket to her. "I can help now, if you want…" she offered.

Jackson looked at her strangely. "I've got it," he said coolly.

"Suit yourself," she shrugged. Lisa wrapped the blanket around her small frame, and snuggled against the material. Then she lied in the center, against the hard, curved wood, and shut her eyes uncomfortably.

"Don't cover so much of your face," Jackson said irritably. "I like watching you sleep."

"I know," Lisa whispered sadly. After a moment, she pulled back a small fold, letting Jackson see the tears that fell slowly, gently, down her troubled face.


End file.
